Policy Tracker – Keeping track of what happened in the world of education in July 2018

July 27, 2018, 12:16
, 12:16

A month which has seen the first of the summer results published in the shape of the interim SATsfigures, the government announce a pay increase for many teachers, Ofsted and the DfE release AnnualReports, the Institute for Apprenticeships publish its Business Plan, concerns raised about theimplementation of T levels and UCAS release latest details on uni applications and unconditional offers

Speeches of the month

Damian Hinds’ 5 July ADCS Conference speech stresses the importance of children’s’ services and the work the Dept is doing around safeguarding, special needs and alternative provision

Sam Gyimah’s 5 July Oxford Science Park speech talks about the future for science and technology and the importance of technology, innovation and investment in the coming years

Amanda Spielman’s 9 July Policy Exchange speech examines the issue of British values and the respective roles of schools and Ofsted in supporting these

Quotes of the month

“It’s no secret that councils are under the cosh” – the chair of the Public Accounts Committee summarizes her Committee report on council finances

“Fundamentally he is powered by a desire to get people from different backgrounds mixing - or in fancier words, promoting social integration” – FE Week profiles Jon Yates, special adviser to the Education Secretary

“University admissions offices will breathe a sigh of relief, though their finance directors are still likely to be worried” – HE Policy Institute director Nick Hillman reflects on the latest fees announcement

“It is highly regrettable that we feel the need to take these steps. It seems that the government is not willing to listen to a chorus of concerns about its T level implementation plans” – the Federation of Awarding Bodies prepares to call for a judicial review of T levels

“This will mean that teaching continues to be a competitively rewarded career” – the Education Secretary announces the latest pay award for teachers

“A search of Hansard reveals at least 40 mentions spread across two prime ministers, four secretaries of state and numerous ministers” – the Education Policy Institute questions the veracity of the government’s favourite statistic about more children being in good schools

“They are easy things to skirt yet the risk of doing so is great” – the Chief Inspector confronts the teaching of British values

“Inspectors will not expect all schools to be at similar stages of EBacc implementation” – Ofsted explains to schools what advice it is giving inspectors when it comes to the EBacc

Word or phrase of the month

‘Chaotic centralization.’ A description of the school system in England in a new report from UCL’s Institute of Education